In final state of the nation address, President Sebastian Pinera makes a pitch for political continuity.
| Autor | Witte-Lebhar, Benjamin |
Taking the podium last month for his fourth and final State of the Nation speech, President Sebastian Pinera delivered a resounding toot of his own horn, citing an array of facts and figures to make the case that Chileans are better off now than they were when he took office three years ago. The approach looks to have paid dividends: a poll released in early June showed a six-point bump in Pinera's approval rating. But with Chile's next election just five months away, the president's conservative coalition still has some convincing to do if it hopes to stay in power beyond March 2014, when Pinera is set to leave office.
Because of Chile's term-limit laws, which prohibit presidents from serving consecutive terms, Pinera cannot immediately stand for re-election. His coalition, the two-party Alianza, is instead being represented by a pair of recent Cabinet members: Pablo Longueira of the far-right Union Democrata Independiente (UDI) and Andres Allamand of the center-right Renovacion Nacional (RN). The two candidates, veterans of their respective parties, are set to compete later this month in an intracoalition primary. For the moment, both are considered long shots to beat the leading opposition candidate, former President Michelle Bachelet (2006-2010), in the upcoming Nov. 17 election. A runoff, should it be necessary, is scheduled for Dec. 15.
Desperate to blow a little wind into the Alianza's sagging sails, Pinera spent much of his speech --which was held, as tradition dictates, on May 21--focusing on his administration's economic accomplishments. Since his presidency began, Chile's economy has grown at an average annual rate of 5.8%, tops among all members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Pinera noted. During that same three-year span, he added, the country's annual per capita GDP jumped from US$15,000 to US$20,000. Investment and wages have also increased, while unemployment has fallen to a record low.
"As president of all the Chilean people, I can't help but feel proud of Chile, whose achievements, which have been occurring at a time of global uncertainty, are being acknowledged and admired abroad," the president said.
The May 21 address also gave Pinera an opportunity to take a few thinly veiled swings at front-runner Bachelet. Without mentioning the popular ex-president by name, Pinera offered a scathing assessment of his predecessor's economic stewardship. "These have without a doubt been very...
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